Truss for elevated structures



(No Model.)

E. M. TURNER; L. VAN BEEK & L. A. BROWN.

TRUSS FOR ELEVATED STRUCTURES.

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EPHRAIM M. TURNER, GEORGE L. VAN BEEK, AND LEIVIS A. BROWN, OF ST.LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS TO THE NATIONAL UNIOYOLE ELEVATED RAILIVAYCONSTRUCTION COMPANY, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

TRUS S FOR ELEVATED STRUCTURES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,102, dated July 14,1891. Application filed October 2, 1890- Serial No. 366,873. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, EPHRAIM M. TURNER, GEORGE L. VAN BEEK, and LEWIS A.BROWN, of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain 5 new and usefulImprovements in Trusses for Elevated Structures, of which thefollowing-is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

This invention relates to an improvement in the truss set out anddescribed in our application of even date herewith; and it consists inthe devices and combination aud'arrangement of devices hereinafterspecified, t5 and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure I is a side elevation of the improved truss withparts broken away. Fig. II is a plan view, partly in section, of thelower chord, showing the crossed 2o brace-rods, the section being takenon line 00 m, Fig. I; and Fig. III is a detail transverse sectionthrough the main rail of the structure and the stringer upon which thisrail is supported. Fig. IV is a detail perspective view 2 of one of thesti'rrups 8.

1 represents the supporting posts, columns, or pillars upon which thedilferent sections of the truss are supported, and which, together withthe stringer 2, the tension and screw o posts 3, and the inclined braces4, are identical with those described in our application above noted,and hence need not be further described herein.

In the present case the stringers are sup- 3 5 ported upon theupper'ends of the posts and the main rail 5 is of the usual contour,except that a series of apertures 6 are formed in the base thereof atintervals throughout its length, preferably at locations directly abovethe sev- 40 eral tension-posts and on both sides of the vertical web ofthe rail, and the holes in oneside of said base directly oppositecorresponding holes formed in the side of the base, which is on theopposite side of the said web.

in the application referred to, and the two guide-rails 7 are gaged atproper distance apart by a series of U-shaped stirrups 8, the bodies ofwhich are bent in U shape and the opposite ends of which are then bentout- No such rail-plate is made use of, as is shown wardly in differentdirections, so as to catch over and upon the upper edges of the bases ofthe rails 7 and act as supports for the baseblocks 9, which are also ofsimilar construction to those base-blocks described in theabove-mentioned application,exceptthat they have perforated ears cast orotherwise formed upon their upper surfaces, through which the crossedhorizontal bracerods 11 pass and have their respective ends securedthereto by means of heads or nuts, the said base-blocks being set uponsaid stirrups and down betwixt the two guide-rails before referred to.

The side hangers or strap-hangers 12 have a hook or claw 13 formed upontheir upper ends by bending; also another hook 14 on their lower ends,formed by bending in an opposite direction to that in.which the upperend is bent, forming the said strap-h angers into substantially S shape,and the said hangers are located by placing the hooks of their upperends into corresponding holes 6 in the mainrail base, and their lowerends are hooked beneath the lower flanges of the guide-rails 7.

By the above construction the guide-rails are supported and gagedwithout the use of a web of any form, there being only a skeletonframe-work support, of which the said rails form the outer edges, andare braced against relative movement by the cross-rod braces 11, thestraps 8, and the base-blocks 9,producing a very economical, simple, anddurable truss.

Opposite recesses 15 are formed in the blocks 9 nextadjacenttheguide-rails, through which recesses the strap-hangers 12 passdown- 8 5 ward and are bent upward to engage the said guide-rails.

In operation, the parts being assembled as shown and described,suitabletension maybe applied to them by means of an ordinary pipewrenchemployed to elongate the tension and screw posts and force sideward allof the caps, as fully explained in our application above referred to.

16 represents hog-chains applied to the top and bottom chords of thetruss and one on each side of the supporting-posts, (see Fig. 1,) theconstruction of which need not be detailed.

WVhat we claim is- 1 In a truss, the combination of the upper ICO chord,a lower chord comprising the parallel headed and based rails, supportstherefor,.U shaped straps 8, applied to the bases of said rails atintervals of their length, base-blocks, such as 9, supported by saidstraps or stirrups 8, braces 11, applied to connect said blocks, andtension-posts and straining devices, substantially as specified.

2. In a truss having" a main upper rail and side rails, a series ofholes forlnedin the baseof said rail, and strap-hangers hooked in saidholes and depending to the side rails, substantially as specified.

3. The truss described, comprising an upper stringer 2 and lower siderails '7, stirrups \Vitnesses:

G. C. LOGAN, GEO. F. BUGFELD.

